Yokota environmental flight reduces waste footprint

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ruth Curfman
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  The 374th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Flight earned the 2007 U.S. Forces Japan Installation Environmental Excellence Award for environmental compliance based largely on the flight's ability to save the government nearly $2 million annually by sending less than 2 percent of refuse off base.

"The main reason we are able to reduce the amount of waste we send off base is because of our recycling efforts," said Larry Lucas, 374th CES Environmental Flight asset management flight chief. "Anything that cannot be recycled, melted down or burned with our incinerator, is sent to a location off base."

However, Mr. Lucas said it's possible to further reduce the small amount of waste generated on base by following a few simple steps.

"The key is to separate at the source so we must rely on our customers to take time to recycle properly," he said. "What a lot of people may not realize is that most of our unrecyclable material consists of dishes or ceramics thrown away. These items can't be recycled of melted down so we send them off base."

Flight members also work closely with Japanese counterparts to make sure base leaders are responsible stewards of the environment entrusted to them.

"We work directly with the Japan environmental governing standards and the Environmental Protection Agency's standards and go by the directive that is strictest," said Makoto Kimura, 374th CES Environmental Flight environmental compliance chief. "The area of our responsibility includes not only Yokota, but also 11 geographically separated unit sites around Japan -- which is a huge undertaking when you think about it."

Working closely with local governmental organizations also allows base officials to inform host nation members of what the U.S. military is doing to preserve the areas of Japan it inhabits.

"We have been able to take groups of Japanese people on tours of the areas we are responsible for and show them how much we are doing to protect the land and the environment of their country," said Mr. Lucas. "We have heard reports back about how impressed the Japanese are with everything the U.S. government is doing to ensure we do not harm their land."

Some of the smallest actions can mean the most to Japanese citizens, according to Mr. Kimura. "We take great care in construction around the base.

"Whenever we are beginning a process that might affect trees or plants, instead of destroying them, we will relocate them so they can continue to live which is very important to us," he added.

Although caring about the environment is a part of their job, environmental flight personnel take pride in knowing they have a hand in influencing future generations.

"We are always looking for more ways to reduce our carbon footprint," said Mr. Lucas. "Right now it seems Yokota's biggest issue is plastic bags -- which cause a lot of harm to marine life."If we could convince people to use the reusable material bags, that would be a step in the right direction in helping us improve our environmental friendliness and our bi-lateral relationships," he added. 

The HQ USFJ environmental awards committee personnel are currently choosing the winners for the 2008 winners and these results should be released soon.